Daniel Farke hailed his Leeds United side as “warriors” after they produced a remarkable defensive display to secure a hard-earned 0-0 draw with Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.

The Whites were forced to play the entire second half with 10 men after Gabriel Gudmundsson was shown a controversial second yellow card in first-half stoppage time.

But rather than buckle under pressure, Leeds delivered one of the most disciplined defensive performances seen in the Premier League in recent years.

A historic defensive effort

The statistics underline just how remarkable the performance was.

Since OPTA records began in 2003/04, Leeds United are the only team on record to have a player sent off in the first half and still not concede a single shot on target in the same Premier League match.

Despite spending more than half the game a man down, the Whites remained organised and committed, limiting Palace to efforts that never troubled Karl Darlow.

Across the 90 minutes, Leeds recorded:

• 15 tackles

• 6 interceptions

• 6 blocks

• 55 clearances

• 57 duels won

It was a collective defensive effort, with every player contributing to ensure the hosts were unable to find a breakthrough.

Bijol leads the resistance

At the centre of the defensive effort was Jaka Bijol, who produced the highest number of defensive contributions of any player on the pitch.

The Slovenian international was outstanding throughout, finishing the game with 18 defensive actions, including:

• 13 clearances

• 4 tackles

• 1 interception

• 3 recoveries

Time and again, Bijol was in the right place to repel Palace attacks, dominating the penalty area and setting the tone for Leeds’ defensive resolve.

Ampadu dominates the duels

Captain Ethan Ampadu also produced a huge performance, particularly in physical contests.

The Welsh international won 12 duels, the joint-most in the match alongside Palace defender Maxence Lacroix.

Ampadu was flawless on the ground, winning all seven of his ground duels, while also claiming five victories from seven aerial battles, providing vital protection in front of the back line.

Darlow sweeps up behind

Behind the defensive line, goalkeeper Karl Darlow played an important role in ensuring Palace never managed to register an official shot on target.

While the statistics show the hosts failed to test him, Darlow was still called into action at a key moment - producing a crucial save in the build-up to what Palace believed was the opening goal, only for the effort to later be ruled out for offside following a VAR review.

Alongside that intervention, Darlow recorded 10 recoveries, the highest tally of any player in the match and the only double-figure total across both sides.

His anticipation and sweeping helped Leeds relieve pressure and maintain their defensive structure throughout a demanding second half.